ALBUMS ’24 | 11-20

The next batch of albums from this year has left me mostly reflecting on how weird reviewers are in 2024.

I remember using NME as gospel for what I should give a listen – by and large it steered you in a decent direction. Reviewers meant something. Zane was a must listen for years. But, my word, the reviewers give middling albums off-the-chart reviews in 2024. It’s left me wading through back to back frankly boring albums for a chunk of this year.

If you’re a slightly quirky alt-pop solo female artist or a sad-boy angsty folk singer, reviewers seem to automatically want to give you top marks. Many of top rated albums on my go-to review site all seem bang average to me. Simply because the acts are new or have a weird haircut the albums are rated far higher than established artists. But from my perspective: Mannequin Pussy – decent, not amazing. Hurrah for the Riff Raff – average. Billy Ryder-Jones – average.

It’s odd because I actually think 2024 is shaping up to be a decent year for albums. Old established acts like Gossip, Vaccines, Idles, Elbow – hell – even Arianna Grande and Zara Larsson have all knocked out solid albums, yet the reviewers are giving them lukewarm reviews.

Then there is Cowboy Carter. Reviewers loved it. I was excited to listen to it after the hype it got. But aside from a few tracks (Texas Hold’em, Bodyguard, Jolene, Blackbiird) I found myself somewhat restless and bored listening to it. It’s too long. Way too long. The Miley track feels like a mess. And to be fair, it’s likely because my starting point is that I’m not the biggest Beyonce fan. Something is probably lost on me. That’s ok – not everyone has to love everything right? Here are my top picks from the last 10.

2024 | 1-10 | Top Picks

Hello, old friends. Here to indulge my sentimental tendancies again? Audio Vertigo has already had many spins and will have many more this year. There’s a few standout tracks you can go to for a quick upbeat fix (Knife Fight, Things I’ve Been Telling Myself for Years, the single Good Blood Mexico City) and the ‘album’ tracks like Very Heaven, Her to the Earth and Embers of the Day give you that more mellow warmth Elbow albums often offer. The heavy guitars and blaring horns in Balu gives something distinct to hang your hat on, breaking up the proceedings like Grounds for Divorce did on The Seldom Seen Kid. Loved it.

Here me and the reviewers found common ground. Where’s My Utopia? is great. There’s not much I can add that hasn’t already been said. Earnest and ironic at the same time. Maybe give it a miss if you like your lead men to actually sing. Standouts for me were When the Laughter Stops, We Make Hits and Blackpool Illuminations – but only give the last a spin if you’ve time for seven-odd minutes of wry post-punk poetry.

Sad bangers abound on Real Power. Gossip have clearly been listening to The xx and I am here for it. When I think of Gossip I think of sticky dance floors and Skins. This is different. It’s disco, it’s funky, but it’s also deeply sad. The title track is more upbeat and recognisably Gossip, but up against that you have tracks like Turn The Card Slowly and Tell Me Something that are much more low-key and heartbreaking. I’ve only listened to it a couple times, but it feels like it’s a grower. Don’t be suprised if it gets a rating bump by the end of the year.

Honourable Mention

Can’t put this in the top 3 as it’s technically from last year and that would feel like a cheat – this is just a re-release. But I like Dead Club City. I really like it. And the tracks added on the deluxe version do add something to the original. I’ve listened to it a bunch. It feels like I’m stuck in Tron when I’m listening to it, and I don’t hate that. I think I’ve been sleeping on Nothing But Thieves.

‘24 Albums

1. Pick Up Full of Pink Carnations – The Vaccines – 9/10
2. Letter to Self – SPRINTS – 6.5/10
3. Saviours – Green Day – 7/10
4. New Last Name – Courting – 6.5/10
5. Prelude to Ecstasy – Last Dinner Party – 7/10
6. People Who Aren’t There Any More – Future Islands – 7.5/10
7. TANGK – Idles – 9/10
8. Filthy Underneath – Nadine Shah – 6/10
9. Ieychyd Da – Bill Ryder-Jones – 6/10
10. Venus – Zara Larsson – 7/10
11. Loss of Life – MGMT – 6/10
12. Bleachers – Bleachers – 6.5/10
13. I Got Heaven – Mannequin Pussy – 7/10
14. The Past is Still Alive – Hurrah for the Riff Raff – 6/10
15. eternal sunshine – Ariana Grande – 7.5/10
16. AUDIO VERTIGO – Elbow – 8/10
17. Dead Club City – Nothing But Thieves – 8.5/10
18. Where’s My Utopia – Yard Act – 8/10
19. Cowboy Carter – Beyonce – 6.5/10
20. Real Power – Gossip – 8/10

Must Listens

1. TANGK – Idles – 9/10
2. Pick Up Full of Pink Carnations – The Vaccines – 9/10
3. AUDIO VERTIGO – Elbow – 8/10
4. Where’s My Utopia – Yard Act – 8/10
5. Real Power – Gossip – 8/10
6. People Who Aren’t There Any More – Future Islands – 7.5/10

Left Me Cold / Overrated

1. Filthy Underneath – Nadine Shah – 6/10
2. Ieychyd Da – Bill Ryder-Jones – 6/10
3. The Past is Still Alive – Hurrah for the Riff Raff – 6/10
4. I Got Heaven – Mannequin Pussy – 6.5/10
5. Loss of Life – MGMT – 6/10
6. Cowboy Carter – Beyonce – 6.5/10

Surprised Me

1. Dead Club City – Nothing But Thieves – 8.5/10
2. Venus – Zara Larsson – 7/10
3. eternal sunshine – Ariana Grande – 7.5/10